Ford is clearly going after Tesla with its sporty EV crossover.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E won’t hit dealerships until late in 2020, led by the First Edition. However, our colleagues at InsideEVs now have additional information on pricing for various models as well as details on standard and optional equipment.
Macheforum.com recently posted equipment documents available to dealerships, and while there aren’t any major surprises, there is notable news with regards to Ford’s Co-Pilot360 driver-assist system. It will be standard equipment on all Mach-E models, giving Ford’s new EV crossover limited autonomous functionality with features such as automatic lane centering, intelligent cruise control with stop-and-go capability, evasive steering assist, and speed limit sign recognition. This is in addition to common driver-assist and safety systems such as emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring.
All Things Mach-E:
Beyond that, standard equipment for all but the base Mach-E is Ford’s Co-Pilot360 Active 2.0 Prep Package. This is an upgrade to the system that adds additional hands-free autonomous capability. Listed in the package is the Active Drive Assist Prep Kit, and Active Park Assist 2.0. However, Ford doesn’t expect availability of this system until the third quarter of 2021 at the earliest, and it will require additional software that owners must purchase. The cost of that software isn’t yet known, so even though it’s considered standard on most Mach-E models, buyers will technically need to pay for it.
It’s been no secret that Ford hopes to challenge Tesla with the Mach-E in the EV realm, but this new information puts an exclamation mark on that effort. All Tesla vehicles come standard with Autopilot hardware and software. Full self-drive functionality a paid upgrade that promises future capability as the tech improves and evolves, just as Ford is promoting with the Mach-E.
Furthermore, the Mach-E is priced competitively to the Model Y in the low-$50,000 range, though the base Mach-E undercuts the Model Y by upwards of $6,000. Ford will let base-model Mach-E buyers add the Active Drive Assist feature as part of a $2,600 package, which still checks in below Model Y pricing.
The only variable in the Mach-E’s autonomous matchup to Tesla is the cost of the software needed for the more advanced functions, but we likely won’t know that figure until sometime next year.